Watermelon Lime Sorbet Slices

A sweet and tangy watermelon lime sorbet is a great way to cool off in the summer. As a bonus, this recipe is frozen back in the watermelon rind and cut off into slices.
It’s hot. The type of heat where when you step outside the door and your skin is wet before the door swings shut behind you. It’s a hot that hangs in the air, letting you breathe it in, that is cured only by two things: being completely immersed in water or hiding indoors, the air conditioning cranked as far as it will go.

I find that the heat makes me very unmotivated to do things like take a walk, water and weed the garden (though I have forced that one on myself) and prepare food and eat it. However, when the promise of cooking provides ice cold watermelon sorbet, I just may be convinced. I’m fairly certain it didn’t take much convincing to get the kids to come grab a slice or sorbet either.

Start by cutting your watermelon as a simple syrup simmers on the stove. If you’re going to serve your sorbet in the rind, cut a watermelon (smaller is better) in half and scoop the watermelon flesh out. Place the hollowed-out rinds in the freezer to get cold while you make your sorbet.
When your simple syrup is cool and watermelon chunked, blend them together in a food processor or blender until smooth. Add in lime juice to cut the sweetness. The first time we made watermelon sorbet we didn’t do this, and it was much too sweet for our taste. I went with a 1/3 cup lime juice.
Cool the liquid completely in the refrigerator for a few hours. When it’s good and cold, throw it in your ice cream machine and freeze. If you saved them, take your watermelon rind out of the freezer and fill it with your sorbet, perhaps throwing in a few mini chocolate chip “seeds” along the way.
This then goes into the freezer. It really doesn’t need that long, and if you let it sit for four to five hours, you’ll be ready to slice easily. Longer freezing just requires you to take it out a bit before you want to scoop or slice. No rind? Just store in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Tip: Dip your scoop or knife in warm water before scooping or slicing to make it easier.
There’s nothing like a slice of watermelon on a warm summer day, especially when your slice happens to be sorbet.
Truly, nothing.
A few tips if you want to make slices:

Use a small, personal size watermelon.

Freeze only long enough for the sorbet to set, or if you freeze longer, give it a good amount of time on the counter to soften up.

Dip your knife (I used a large chef’s knife) in warm water in between each cut, and try to cut 2″-3″-thick slices off the watermelon. Too thin and they don’t hold together as well.

How are you staying cool in the midst of this heat wave? Are you enjoying the pool, spending time hiding indoors or heading towards museums and other air-conditioned retreats?

Place water and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook until sugar is completely dissolved to create a syrup. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

In a food processor or blender, mix together watermelon cubes, syrup and lime juice. Blend until smooth. Add to an ice cream machine and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions. Serve immediately as soft serve sorbet or freeze in an airtight container and remove a few minutes prior to serving to let soften for scooping.

I just found this on the TidyMom.com blog and love it. What a fun idea. I would have never thought to put the sorbet back into the watermelon rind. I can’t wait to try this idea. How fun especially when the tempertures are soaring right now. I might try it with frozen blueberries instead of the chocolate chips.

Looks tasty! I tried this same presentation and put it in one of my cookbooks, but I didn’t use nearly as much lime juice in my recipe. I’m wondering–does this really taste like watermelon, or mostly like lime? I’m sure the lime would be refreshing, but does the melon flavor come through, too?

It tastes very much like watermelon. The recipe uses 8 cups of watermelon, where most watermelon sorbet recipes use closer to 4. The 8 cups is necessary to fill both halves of a small melon, though, and so it makes quite a bit of sorbet. Hope that helps explain it!

Oh my gosh, this is such a cute idea! My kids will be amazed when I make this. We are eating lots of sweet watermelon this summer, and this is a perfect way to cool off on these very hot summer days in Texas.

LOOKS incredible! I must try it! I am going to try to cut the sugar down for health reasons but the lime with it looks amazing!! How fun! I need a watermelon right about now! THANKS FOR SHARING! Kristy from http://www.apronsandapples.blogspot.com my healthy, Diy, crafty, big family blog!

I think that if you freeze the cubes of watermelon for a couple of hours and then blend them up, it will work pretty well. I don’t have an ice cream maker either and I do this with frozen banana to make sorbet and it works well.

Its a unique,very interesting thing that I have learnt today..thank you very much for sharing!!!

Regards
Abhigyan Mukherjee
Indian Cuisine-Made easy for beginners.http://delicacyindiancuisine.blogspot.in/
Cooking made easy to all beginners.My blog will not only have common and traditional recipes,but the recipes will be very detailed and meticulous

You could make it, but it’d be best as granita. Put the blended mix into a tub and every 2-3 hours you scrape down the sides with a fork to create a sort of slush. Still refreshing and delicious, but a different texture.

even with the lime juice it is waaaay too sweet for me….i like the idea, tho, and may play with it to get it suit me….it does look so pretty when it is cut into slices….and i like the idea of the chocolate “seeds”, altho i did not do that this time

Your watermelon sorbet looks so amazing! Just made some pineapple sorbet (https://happytoeat.jux.com/523379) but I should have scooped out the inside of the pineapple and put the sorbet in there. I’ll try it next time!

Just made this (it is watermelon season in New Zealand!). Used 2 tblsp of Orange Blossom Water (mediterranien ingredient). No chocolat chips because of taste clash, and hard enough to remove the seeds anyway. THE GUESTS LOVED IT! Very refreshing!

I really want to make this sorbet – but I don’t have an ice cream machine. Is there another container in which the blended ingredients can be frozen (prior to filling the watermelon rinds with the sorbet)? Thank you.

I am not sure if this would work, but I have seen other recipes that tell you to put itin the freezer and, every 20 minutes, take it out and “mix it” with a fork. That would keep it moving, and primitively, do the same thing as the ice cream maker. I hope it works for you if you decide to try it!!!!

I hope you can still read this?
Um, I’d like to ask what difference an ice cream maker will make – is it the texture difference? Because I don’t think there will be difference with or without it. Thanks.

Hi, Christabel. The ice cream maker helps the sorbet freeze quickly and evenly. The faster the mix freezes, the smaller the crystals. If you simply place the mix in the freezer, it will freeze into a hard block with large crystals. You can do this and scrape it with a fork to create a granita, or you can pour the mix into a zip-top bag and smush it every hour or so as it freezes to create a similar effect. They are still delicious, but you won’t get that smooth sorbet-like nature to it.

[…] I find that the heat makes me very unmotivated to do things like take a walk, water and weed the garden (though I have forced that one on myself) and prepare food and eat it. However, when the promise of cooking provides ice cold watermelon sorbet, I just may be convinced. I’m fairly certain it didn’t take much convincing to get the kids to come grab a slice or sorbet either. Start by cutting your watermelon as a simple syrup simmers on the stove. Watermelon Lime Sorbet Slices | Food for My Family […]

[…] a warm day, I’m loving the idea of spending nap time whipping up these Watermelon Lime Sorbet Slices from lovely food blogger Food For My Family. You scoop out the watermelon, mix in simple syrup and […]

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Hello, I'm Shaina. Food for My Family is where I share recipes, tips, opinions, and my philosophy on food as Ole and I strive to teach our four children how to eat well: seasonally, locally, organically, deliciously, and balanced. [Read more...]

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Hi, I am Shaina Olmanson. I am a work-at-home mom of four, feeding my family and my friends one plate at a time. I share recipes, tips, opinions and my philosophy on food as I strive to teach my four children how to eat well: seasonally, locally, organically, deliciously and balanced.